Back into the Forest of the Unknown
by violets117
Summary: After that fateful halloween, Wirt had never been the same. Violet did her best to help her best friend out of his strange new obsession with paranormal studies, but Wirt is dead set on finding out more about the Unknown and why he was sent there. But there's more. Other children all across America are reporting nightmares of a forest with a beast lurking within.
1. The dance

I pressed my head into his side, a threatening yet playful growl escaping, muffled slightly. "Just a sec" He kept typing and I huffed my annoyance. "Come _on_ Wirt. Sara's waiting- you don't wanna _keep_ her waiting right?" I pleaded, pushing up on the bed and straightening out my dress. "And _Josh_ is waiting on mee…" I added, tilting my head to the side and playing with his hair. He swatted my hand away with an annoyed frown. "We're gonna be late" I deadpanned, pushing off his bed and pacing over to the window. "I'm almost done- I just have to…" He trailed off, lost in thought as his typing picked up pace.

"They probably think we bailed" I sighed, glancing at the clock that read "8:32 PM." We'd missed the first hour and a half of the school dance thanks to an unexpected last minute email that had pulled Wirt right back into his antics. He hadn't been this way, not always. But after one particularly crazy halloween night, he'd been obsessed with paranormal studies and anything related. My best friend was a shell of his former self. He didn't play clarinet anymore, never wrote poetry or worried about what others thought… It was all just… Paranormal crap. What ever this email was about, it was ruining the best night of my life. And I wasn't having any of it.

Frustration set in and I snatched the laptop, slamming it shut and carelessly tossing it over my shoulder into a pile of wirt's unwashed clothes. His room was a mess. "-Hey! I was almost done" He frowned and I glared. "At this rate we've got ten minutes to get there if we still wanna _enjoy_ tonight. Which would be great. You promised you'd go and Sara- your giRLFRIEND, is waiting on you" I huffed angrily, crossing my arms and tapping my foot as I leaned in for emphasis. "Sara's not my girlfriend" he squeaked defensively, a tinge of red flooding his cheeks. "Oh yeah I forgot, don't blame her...yOU CAN'T EVEN FOCUS ON SOMETHING LIKE HER FOR AN HOUR" I said exasperatedly, eyes wide as my frown deepened. "Fine fine, let's just go" He threw his arms up, a sign he was giving in.

"Yee, finaLLY" I grabbed his arms, pulling him to his feet and forcing his suit's jacket on before tugging him out and down the stairs. His mom smiled upon seeing us, raising a brow. She sat on the couch, greg fast asleep on her lap with a disney movie playing on the TV. "Oh! I thought you two left already! What's the hold up?" She asked, as if she didn't know. I gave a small sigh, tilting my head to the side towards wirt. She mouthed an "oh" and returned her attention to the screen. "Okay let's go" I insisted, yanking him out the door and shutting it behind us after calling "Be back in a bit Mrs. Wilson!"

"This is dumb" He muttered, throwing his leg over the bike and steadying it. "It's stupid how late we are" I retorted, hopping up on the pegs of the bike and pointing forward. "Come on Wirt, we're runnin' outta time" I said, ushering his forward by pushing my hand on his shoulder lightly. "Right right" He sighed, pushing forward and kicking off into speed. This was how we normally got around, him riding me wherever I needed. Why you might ask? Well, at the beginning of the year Wirt's step dad bought him this bike, and we made a silly bet that I could outrun him on my feet all the way to school. Loser had to bike the other person around wherever for the next year- you can see who won. I was on the track team at the time, I don't know why he expected to win.

The school was in sight and I grinned, spotting a few balloons floating away and listening to a few distant hollers of excitement. Looked like stuff was really going down there. I gnawed on my lower lip, excitement eating at my insides. This was it, my first school dance! And with my school crush no less! We would dance and laugh and have fun and- All of my excitement and thoughts were ripped away as we swerved sharply to the right and were sent crashing into a bush. I let out a yelp as we flew right over the bike and into the park. Disorientated, and a bit pissed off, I pushed up and off of his back. He let out a groan and I frowned. "You okay?" I asked, scooting to the side and helping him sit up. "Y-yeah… I just…" He pressed a hand to his head, looking slightly lost for a moment before his ringing phone seemed to register in both of our ears. Oh. So that was why we crashed.

I tilted my head to the right, glancing over the bush at the lights of the dance down the street. A sigh escaped my ruby red lips, pouting as I glanced back at him. He was listening intently as someone on the other line spoke, their voice loud enough to catch little bits of the conversation. " _Reports all over town-" "Ranging from ages 6-17-" "I think it all might be-"_ I glared, a low growl bubbling in my throat. This was some kind of paranormal crap- I knew it. I pushed to my feet, dusting off my dress and inspecting it for any damage. I felt my eyes well up a little when I spotted the mud lacing all the way across the bottom, and the tiny tear up the side near my thigh. Oh great. This was Sara's dress… How much did she say it cost? Oh man it'd be a pain to replace…

"Okay- that's it. I'm going to the dance with or with out-" I stopped when I noticed Wirt's face inches from mine, a grin lighting up his entire face. I deadpanned, glancing at the dance then at him. "I've got a lead" He whispered, excited to no end. "You promised" I whined, crossing my arms and taking a deep breath. "I know I know it's just- I have a chance to meet up with the guy who's been helping me and-" I cut him off. "How do you know this isn't some kinda trap?" I asked, clearly not buying the whole situation.

"That's why I need you" He pleaded. "Ohoho no, nononono, I am NOT missing this dance to be your body guard for some stupid meeting that could happen LITERALLY ANY OTHER DAY" I nearly screamed, blood boiling at the thought. "Pleeeassee. You're the only girl I know with a black belt in karate AND Akido! If anything goes wrong- you'll be there! It's too perfect- I promise I'll pay you back and- and-" I sighed, deflating of all hope for going to this dance. "Fine. But you owe me big time for this" I huffed, dusting some twig off his shoulder. He beamed, embracing me in a tight hug. "Thank you thank you thank you! I promise you won't regret this!" He let go, hug not returned, and hopped over the bush. I sighed, following after him with more caution. "I already am…" I muttered.

 **Hello~ It is I, a new person who's been a fan for roughly... two years? I dunno, anyways, hope you guys enjoyed, leave a review and lemme know what you think. I've never seen the possibility of Wirt ending up like Dipper or something being explored so I figured it'd be a fun thing to try. Try not to knock this because it's got an OC insert, I promise it won't be centered on that too much, I just feel like an attempt to portray any of these characters would be butchered by me. I've never been really good at expressing inner thoughts of these kinda characters. Anyways~ next chap coming up!**


	2. A talk with strangers

"Take a left here" I said, glancing at his phone's GPS before looking back up. He nodded, pulling the bike left and veering down the next street. I could hear him panting now, his breath rigid in the now cold night air. We'd been riding for almost twenty minutes, in near complete silence were it not for his panting and the sound of gears turning against the wind. I sighed, looking at the phone once more. The green pin indicating the destination grew closer, almost thirty feet away. "So who is this guy?" I asked, raising a brow and leaning down next to his ear. He glanced up for a moment, shrugging. "I have no idea, we've been chatting online for a few weeks. Apparently he's been to the unknown too" He explained. I frowned. "That forest you and greg went to?" Of course- that was always the main focus wasn't it? The Unknown, the Beast… I'd heard it all before.

There was this monster in the woods chasing them, looking to turn them into a tree that made oil. I wasn't sure why, for a while I thought he'd gone insane- but Greg had even insisted it was all real. Some bluebird named Beatrice guided them through the forest to some witch named Adelaide that ended up working for the beast. Yeah. I must've sketched it for Wirt a dozen times, but he didn't know. I'd just sit there with my sketch pad, scribbling down the descriptions as I received them, then tucking them away and hiding them. Truth was, If I showed them Wirt might just snatch them up- that or they could be way off. I wasn't sure. So they stayed my little secret.

"Here" I snapped myself out of my own thoughts, instinctively hopping off the bike before it could stop and straightening my dress. I slipped his phone into the waistband, looking around the small, yet surprisingly nice park. "He wants to meet you in a park? Kinda creepy if you ask me" I muttered, Wirt walking up to my side. He spotted a bike rack and chained it up a few feet away, while I walked past the gate of the entrance and looked around for any sign of life. "Looks empty- oh" I spotted a thin silhouette rocking back and forth gently on the swing set a few feet to my right. This guy didn't look too threatening, or old. So that was a good sign.

"Hello?" I called, head tilted to the side as I squinted to see him. The park was dimly lit by a few spread out light posts, and the swing happened to not be under one, so seeing him was a bit hard. The figure's head snapped up, pushing off the swing and making his way towards me. In the light I could see him better; he had dark hair, brown eyes and pale skin with bruises under his eyes- lack of sleep probably. He wore a dark blue hoodie with a backpack secured on his shoulders and a dark brown pair of jeans on, with a scrawny build. He looked annoyed the moment he spotted what I looked like, black hair tied up loosely in a bun and sporting this lovely muddy purple dress. Yeah I was quite the looker I'm assured.

"Who're you?" He asked, his voice a bit raspy. Wirt joined me at my side, seemingly mustering up all of his courage. "Windfall?" Wirt asked, taking a step in front of me. "I thought you were coming alone" The stranger said, tone accusing. "What'd you just get out of a party or something?" He asked, glancing our formal attire up and down. "This is Violet, she's-" "I'm his body guard" I announced, crossing my arms. The stranger scoffed. "You brought a girl in a frilly purple dress as your bodyguard?" He almost laughed and I almost threw my flats at him.

"Yeah where's yours?" I asked, leaning forward. "You definitely need one" I looked him up and down judgingly. No shame. He shook his head. "I didn't think so, thought I was just meeting a fellow investigator-" "And you are, Wirt's the most investigating investigator I've ever met" I said, my weak attempt to defend my bestie. Wirt scowled. "Your name's Wirt?" The stranger scoffed, a mocking smirk biting at his expression. "Well what's your name?" I asked, tapping my foot impatiently. "Darren," He said with a tilt of the head. "I've got some files I wrestled off the Elmwood police, reports of sightings. If your _body guard_ wants to go wander for a bit we can sit and talk" He went on. I frowned, "No way-" Wirt's warning glance was enough to stop me. He gave a pleading smile and I sighed, rolling my eyes and making my way over to the swing set Darren had been sitting on.

I sat down, kicking myself into a slow swing and watching the two make their way over to a bench a while aways. For a moment I wondered what they might be discussing, but then I decided to think about what I was missing out on instead. I let out another sigh, leaning my head against the chain of the swing and lethargically pushing myself forward again. "Stupid… _stuff_ " I pouted, taking in the scenery at my strange angle. It was kind of pretty, a bit creepy though. Vines protruded all over the park's garden, taking over the buildings and gazebos with little effort. It was nice overall, but boring.

Luckily, Wirt's phone erupted, ringing loudly in my waistband. I pulled it out, eyeing the screen before unlocking it and answering the call. "Hello?" I asked, not bothering to sit up. " _Vi? Where are you guys? It's almost over!"_ I perked a bit, scratching my neck. "Sara? Yeah.. We couldn't make it.. Wirt had another thing he had to do. He's with his new friend" I sighed, looking at the two. " _New friend? But I thought you said he promised.."_ she sounded more upset than I was. "He did… It's a big lead in his hunt for answers. I formally apologize on his part- but I'm sure he'll apologize tomorrow at school" I spoke tiredly, leaning on the side of the swing again and squinting at a strange shadow at the edge of the park. It almost looked like…. " _Oh. Right, okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow"_ She said, hanging up before I could respond. I blinked, pulling the phone away and looking at it.

"Huh.. we're screwed…" I muttered, glancing up and blinking in surprise. The shadow… it was gone. I pushed to my feet a bit frantically, anxiety kicking up to level five as I searched the park slowly and carefully to make sure I hadn't just misplaced the shadow. Sure enough, I spotted it. About thirty feet over to the left, it loomed closer than before. I squinted, leaning in for a better view- then it happened. Two bright pale orbs appeared on the shadow, almost like eyes. I tensed, eyes wide and brows furrowed. "What the…" I breathed, clutching the phone tighter and taking a few steps in it's direction. I took a deep breath, mustering up as much courage as possible and walking closer. The orbs tilted slightly, as if with the head. I felt a shiver run down my spine, and I suddenly wasn't sure if my shaking was because of the cold.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, suddenly annoyed with my own fear as I bravely walked right up to the edge of the trees. It was only a few feet away, and I could see a bit better now. It was… wasn't it? It looked just like the drawings I'd… " **Hello…"** I jumped, gasping sharply. "Hi…" I spoke cautiously. The shadow moved and suddenly it all clicked. This wasn't a shadow… it was… " **What is it you are looking for?"** The voice asked deeply, voice calm and almost eerily smooth. I sniffed up a bit of run in my nose, looking the creature up and down. "Can you tell me who you are…?" I asked, trembling slightly as a strong breeze cut between us. " **Oh, where are my manners? I, am the beast"** A sharp ringing cut through my ears. " **And who might you be?"** I tensed slightly. "Violet. What are you doing in the woods?" I asked, gaze locked as it shifted to the left slightly. " **I am simply wandering, as I tend to do. Are you lost?"** The question sent a shiver down my spine.

"Nope… I'm just uh…" I glanced at Wirt and Darren across the park, wondering for a moment. "Wandering. You know how it is" I gave a nervous laugh. " **Perhaps you might like to join me on my nightly walk? It certainly is lovely this time of year"** I blinked. "Oh, sure is.. I uh… I'll pass this time B-beast. Thanks for the offer though" I gave a weak smile, uncertain as to what to do next. " **Oh, but I insist. Perhaps I might change your mind somehow?"** I shook my head. "I'd rather not go into the woods.. Too many thorns and stickers.." It tilted it's head to the side skeptically. " **There is a path, see?"** It moved aside and I saw the path behind him, the dirt almost scorched black and the plant life withered and dead.

"Oh… Okay…" I gave a nervous smile, and not knowing what else to do, stepped onto the path. The beast glided along side me, glowing eyes the only light aside from the overcast glow of the moon. The path was mostly covered with trees overhead, so it was hard to see what it really looked like. "S-so, why are you called the beast, exactly?" I asked, a weak attempt to make conversation. " **It is my title by the people of the towns. I willingly accept it as such"** I gave a concerned frown. "Oh… Why do they call you that? Are you like… A bad person?" I squinted. " **I am not. I am different, the people of the towns could not accept that."** I gave a sympathetic glance, wondering if this guy was really that bad. I mean, Wirt never said he _hurt_ him or greg- just that he followed them and tried to turn them into strange trees. Which was the crazy part… But then again… If this guy- this beast, was you know, a _beast_ \- then maybe it wasn't too farfetched that he might've done such stuff. But maybe he had a reason…

"So you're not a bad guy? Just… lonely?" I asked cautiously, watching as the path turned to the right slightly. " **If that is how you choose to describe it. Company these days is as rare as can be. Perhaps that is all, loneliness. Thank you for accompanying me on this fine night Violet"** I cringed when he said my name, but offered a weak and surprisingly genuine smile. He wasn't so bad… He was kinda nice. I wonder why everyone thought- anothering ringing sound shot through my ear, almost like a realization. I was alone. In the woods. With Wirt's worst nightmare- the thing that kept him up at night and stirred his thoughts in the day. I knew why he was scared of it- of _him_. He was creepy sure, but he tried to turn them into trees. And apparently he tried to do so to others- so then there was a burning thought on the edge of my mind. _What about me?_ Was _I_ a target? Did he want to turn _me_ into a tree?

" **You are awfully quiet. Is there something on your mind?"** I snapped up, slowing my pace a little and looking around. "N-no… hey, where _are_ we?" I turned to look at him and froze in terror. He was gone. Just… gone. And I was alone in the woods. "Hnnn…" I whimpered my fear, pulling the phone up and looking at the time. "Ten thirty six?" I blinked my surprise, looking around for the beast one more time before looking at the phone and dialing up my house number. I should've been home by ten- so I knew I had to check in at the least. But after a few moments of ringing, the phone started beeping. "No service? You've _gotta_ be kidding me…" I muttered, shutting the phone and stuffing it back into the waistband of the dress. "Great. _THANKS_ BEAST" I shouted, annoyance overriding fear as I crossed my arms and looked for the path- which was also gone. I stood alone, under the now bright moonlight, surrounded by trees. "Thanks _Vi,_ you got yourself into this mess" I muttered to myself, looking around. "Vi!" I heard a distant call- Wirt. I perked, whipping in the direction of the voice. "WIRT!" I cupped my hands around my mouth as I called back, my voice barely above a yell.

"Where are you?" He called back, probably near the edge of the woods. I looked around, shrugging to myself. "Dunno! I think I'm uh…. _Lost_ …" The last word was almost a whisper… and I realized then. The beast had done this on purpose.. What should I tell Wirt? What _could_ I tell wirt? "What?" He called back. I sighed, listening to his voice before treading in his direction. I lifted my dress to prevent any more damage before realizing it was completely shredded at the bottom. I sighed for probably the thousandth time this evening before dropping the dress and just focusing on making my way towards his voice. "Keep talking! I'm trying to find you!" I called out, stepping over a tiny bush and grunting with the effort. "O-okay! What should I say?" He called back, clearly confused. I sucked in a breath. "I dunno! Cluck like a chicken!" I said, a tinge sarcastically.

"I am _not_ going to cluck" He snapped back, and I spotted him at the edge, Darren waiting impatiently at his side. I waved, and he perked a little, waving back. I made my way all the way to the edge, pausing at the sight of a bush between us. I sighed, frowning as I attempted to climb over it. Wirt offered a hand, and helped me over, then frowned at me. "What were you doing in the woods?" He asked, voice slightly shaken. I shrugged. "Walking… I lost the path I was on" I half-lied. "There aren't any paths in those woods" Darren commented, skeptically.

"You know, I think that might've been the problem" I said dumbly.

 **SAME DAY SECOND CHAP BECAUSE IM STILL HELLA INSPIRED- so yeah, she was kinda dumb even following the beast, I know, but I had a reason for all of this so just hold on tight because it'll all add up later I promise owo Leave a review and lemme know this fandom hasn't died and what you think c: Until next time! ~V117**


	3. The divorce

Ah another rainy afternoon. Rain was pretty common around here, so maybe it was dumb hope that today would be any different. I sighed, wishing desperately for an umbrella as I stepped out of the house. "Morning" I waved to Wirt as he approached, drenched in the down pour with his bike at his side. "Hey" He sighed, pulling the bike under my porch and shaking his head. "Got caught in the rain on the way here" He shrugged, a look of annoyance evident. "You didn't pack your laptop in your bag today did you?" I asked curiously, stifling a scoff when he banged his head against the door. "I.. did" He sighed his frustrations, letting out a muffled yawn before planting his hands in his pockets. "What's the plan now?" He asked. I shrugged. "My mom's already left, but the truck is here?" I gave a suggestive raise of the brow. "You don't have your license" Wirt huffed, brows furrowed and arms crossed. I sighed for the hundredth time. "Okay you wanna just bike through this?" I asked, throwing my arms up and gesturing at the rain. "Only of you protect my backpack" He retorted.

"Oh yeah lemme just cover your backpack and get myself soaked just to protect your nerd stuff" I mocked, rolling my eyes then pausing when I caught sight of his furrowed brows and puffed cheeks.

XXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe.." I muttered, wind whipping my drenched hair behind us as Wirt biked us to school. I was hunched over both of our backpacks, protecting as much as I could from the pour. "We're almost there" Wirt called over his shoulder, right into my ear. I nodded absentmindedly, averting my gaze to look as best as I could through the rain at the approaching school. I blew a strand of wet hair from my face, squinting at how many prepared people happened to be carrying umbrellas into the school. "Hmph"

Once inside, I made my way past Wirt, skidding down the hall at top speed to find our abandoned friends and give a proper apology. Something I knew wasn't even in the back of Wirt's mind. "Hey guys" I waved when I spotted Sara, sliding into my seat and dropping my bag at my side. "Hey, how'd Wirt's mission go?" Sara asked, smiling. I shrugged. "He met up with his buddy and they talked, it was pretty boring" My mind flashed to the memory of the beast, his voice echoing in my subconscious "Worth it?" She raised a brow teasingly. "Not at all" I deadpanned, earning a laugh from her and Josh. "Sorry you couldn't make it" Josh said, leaning on his chair. "It was pretty great. Next time you oughta just ditch Wirt and let him get eaten by a bear or something" He said half jokingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well I don't think it'd be worth it if he got eaten by a bear." "I do" Josh snapped back with a laugh. "Oh haha, talking about me?" Wirt deadpanned as he took his seat at my side. "Yeah just talking about how you're gonna get yourself mauled by a bear while looking for trolls" Bradley shot in from his seat. Sara stifled a laugh and I caught a blush on Wirt's soaked cheeks. "Oh come on guys, don't be rude" Sara interjected, earning more laughter from the two. "Yeah right, sorry. Why do you hang out with him again?" Bradley leaned over, giving me a curious glance. "He's a lot cooler than you guys realize- and honestly it's much more fun to go troll hunting than sit in some dirty old bleachers and watch a bunch of dumb jocks sprint back and forth across a field with a ball" I shrugged, eyeing Bradley as he gave a mocking appalled gasp. "Apply cold water to that burn" Josh whispered, earning laughs from everyone.

"Mmm okay, I see you. Don't come crying to me when he leaves you for a leprechaun though" This time only Josh laughed at Bradley's joke. I just glared. "Oh haha, if anything he'd leave me for a mermaid" I flipped my wet hair mockingly. This time Wirt glared. "Would you quit saying I'm gonna leave you? You're making it seem like we're married" He scoffed. I shrugged. "We are aren't we? I mean if we do get divorced I call dibs on the kids and the licorice stash. You can have the beany babies and all our toast" I said sternly. He shook his head, stifling a laugh, and the bell rang.

XXXXXXX

"So all I'm saying is that if we get a puppy I can keep it on the weekends while you go do your parascience stuff" I said, leading the way outside. Wirt shook his head. "Then who'd get it on the weekdays?" I grinned. "You obviously" A sigh. "I'm not taking care of a puppy for you- regardless of breed" He said, stopping me right as I opened my mouth to protest. "Okay okay, what about… a kitten?" I raised a brow, shimmying my shoulders a little. "I'm allergic to cats" He frowned. "But we _need_ an adventure pet that can scare off anything harmful or scary- like the _beast_ " His eyes widened for a minute before he frowned, smacking the side of my head playfully. I laughed, rubbing the spot and averting my gaze to the tree line beside the school. "Come on Wirt, wouldn't it be so cool to share a puppy? How many best friends share a dog? It's like, next level best friendhood. What if I keep it the week and you get it the weekend?" He shook his head, sighing. "Why do you want a puppy so bad? It's that poster in Mrs. Gerlan's class isn't it? I saw you staring at it all of third period" He said accusingly.

I rolled my head on my neck, body swinging exaggeratedly with it. "I just want something we can like, train to protect us. Or more protect you, but that's beside the point" I shook my head as his lips thinned into a line. "Like an actual guard dog- that wayyy, next time you go meet a stranger in the woods I won't have to miss a school dance" I said quickly, as if it wouldn't quite register to him if I did. He stopped, glaring at me. "That's what this is about?" He seemed aghast and I gave a nervous smile before shrugging. "I mean, maybe- b-but In mY DEFENSE, that was supposed to be my first school dance… Who knows when the next one will be- and I still owe Sara for her destroyed dress-" "Well it's not my fault you decided to go on a walk through the woods" He threw his arms up. "Well it's your fault we were even near the woods- not to mention it was your fault we crashed in the first place!" I nearly yelled. "Well if I'm such a burden that I'm _ruINING_ your life then stop hanging around me!" He yelled, startling the nearest ten students heading home from school.

I leaned back slightly, placing a hand on my chest and making a fake gasp with a look of shock. "Are..- Are you divorcing me?" I stifled a laugh at his glare. "Wirt I'm joking- _Wirrrttt_ Come onnnn I was joking!" I followed after him, leaving a little space between us. "I'm sorrryyyyyy- Wirttttt come back" I couldn't help myself from laughing as he mounted his bike, but my smile quickly faded as he took off towards home. "Nooo wIRTTT" I called, jogging a little bit in vain attempt to catch up. I walked home for the first time this year that day.

 **This is honestly so much fun to write that I don't really mind no review- I'm just gonna write with the flow ouo hope anyone reading enjoyed! ~V117 (reviews are nice tho)**


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